Staple remover

ABSTRACT

A staple removing device includes a pair of oppositely disposed, cooperable jaws each having a pair of spaced, wedge-shaped teeth. The teeth are shaped to fit beneath the crown portion of a staple and, when brought together, force the staple along the wedge teeth towards the thick portion, removing the staple from the attached material. The teeth of one jaw are configured to enable ready disengagement therefrom of the removed staple. A container is operatively disposed adjacent the end of the jaw to receive and retain the removed staple.

United States Patent [191 Nembhard et al.

[4511 Sept. 25, 1973 p STAPLE REMOVER [76] inventors: Roy L. Nembhard, 1710 S. Orange Dr., Los Angeles, Calif. 90019; James A. Sinclair, 2034 Midvale Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90025 [22] Filed: Mar. 3, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 231,581

[52] US. Cl. 254/28 [51] Int. Cl. B25c 11/00 [58] Field of Search 254/28 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,596,719 5/1952 Pankonin 254/28 3,625,482 12/1971 Viel 254/28 3,528,643 9/1970 Munson 254/28 Primary Examiner-0thell M. Simpson Assistant Examiner--Robert C. Watson Attorney-Richard Morganstem [5 7] ABSTRACT A staple removing device includes a pair of oppositely disposed, cooperable jaws each having a pair of spaced, wedge-shaped teeth. The teeth are shaped to fit beneath the crown portion of a staple and, when brought together, force the staple along the wedge teeth towards the thick portion, removing the staple from the attached material. The teeth of one jaw are configured to enable ready disengagement therefrom of the removed staple. A container is operatively disposed adjacent the end of the jaw to receive and retain the re moved staple.

10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures STAPLE REMOVER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION adapted to be insertedbetween the crown portion of a.

staple and the material to which the staple is attached. When the jaws are forced together they simultaneously.

press upwardly on the crown portion of the staple and downwardly on the material. The staple is thus pulled out of the material without causingdamagethereto.

The remover as above describedis rugged, economical, and extremely effective in performingthe general function of removing clenched staples. It suffers, however, from one major defect, the elimination of which is the subject of this invention. The defectreferred to involves the failure of the abovereferenced prior-art staple removers to provide for convenient disposal or storing of the removed staples. Removedstaples must presently be disposed of one at a time by hand, an ex.- tremely inconvenient procedure. As is frequently the case, they find their way on to desk surfaces, floors and related structures and equipment. This is of serious concern, for example, to manufacturersof standard of fice copying machines. Because of the nature of such equipment a large number of staples are removed in their proximity. The removed staples often find their way into the various operating parts of these machines and can cause malfunctions.

It would be highly desirable therefore to provide. an

efficient staple remover which makes provision. for storing the removed staples without requiring: additional manual operations.

SUMMARY OF THE. INVENTION In accordance with the present invention a staple removing structure is disclosed which solves the above.- described problem.

The staple remover of the present inventionincludes a first jaw having a pair of spaced, wedge-shaped teeth; The points of the teeth are adapted to be insertedbeneath the crown portion of a clenchedstaple; adjacent: the legs thereof. A second, opposed. jaw havingisimilarly configured teeth adapted to cooperate with the first jaw is provided. The second jawis adaptedtoengage a staple and force the staple crown to move-lup the first jaws teeth surfaces towards the thicker portion of the wedges. Thestaple is thus pulled out of engagement. with the attached material.

The first jaws teeth are further configureto'enable ready disengagement of the removed staple when it reaches the thick portion of the wedges. A. stapleretaining compartment cooperates with the jaws and is positioned adjacent the thick terminal. portion ofthe first jaws teeth to receive andretaintthe removedstaples.

In a preferred embodiment the jaws are each attached to respective body portions which are both pivpresent invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of an embodiment constructed in accordance therewith taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like referenced numerals indicate like and corresponding parts throughout the several views and wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a staple remover constructed in accordance with the principals of the present invention; 7

FIG. 2' is a side elevational view in partial section of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front elevationalview of the device of FIG.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view in side elevation showing the action of the embodiment of FIG. 1 during the operation of removing a staple;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view in side elevation illustrating thedevice of FIG. 1 substantially at the completion of. a staple removing and storage operation;

FIG. 7 isa view taken on the line 7-7of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referringnow to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 4 thereof, a preferred embodiment of'the'staple remover constructed in accordance with the principals of the present invention is shown. The device comprises a pair of oppositely disposed jaws 11. and. 13.

Jaws l1 and 13 each comprisea pair of spaced teeth as shown. Each tooth of jaw 11 has a pair of intersecting camming surfaces 12 and 20 forming a wedgeshaped structureenlarging outwardly from the point of intersection. In a similar manner each tooth of jaw 13 has a pair of'intersecting camming surfaces 14 and 21. forminga wedge-shaped structure enlarging outwardly from the point of intersection. The teeth forming. jaw 11%. are spaced so that they pass between the spaced teethforming jaw 13 when" the jaws are moved toward each other in a mannerto be hereinafter described.

As best seen in FIG. 3 the camming surfaces 2l of jaw l3terminate ati'a point 22 wherein the jaws l3are attached to outward directed flange portions 40. Jaw

13 may be integrally connected to a body portion 42 member 24. Cap member 24 when in the closed position has side portions which engage side portions 45 and 46 of member 42. Cap member 24 also has a lip 28 which extends upward between the teeth of jaw 13. Body portion 42 and cap 24 (when in the closed position) therefore define a substantially closed chamber 18 which chamber starts immediately in back of flanges 22.

Opposed jaws 11 are, as shown, attached to a body portion 10. Body portion 10 is also mounted on pivot 16 at a rearward portion 51. The side walls of members 10, 24 and 42 adjacent pivot 16 are mutually spaced so that the walls of member 10 fit sidably between the walls of member 24. The side walls of member 24 fit slidably between the walls of member 42. This arrangement allows, inter alia, pivoting action between members 10 and 42 in a manner so as to maintain the aligned relationship of jaws l3 and 11. A spring 23 has a coil portion mounted on the pivot 16 and end portions engaging body portions 10 and 42. The spring is tensioned to tend to spread or separate the jaw members.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 through 7 the steps in removing a staple designated as 27 are illustrated. The first part of the operation is similar to that of prior-art devices. Thus, as shown in F IG. 6, when a clenched staple 27 is to be removed, the staple remover is placed over the crown or body portion of the staple. The individual teeth are adjacent and between the sides or legs of the staple. The staple remover body portions are grasped as by the thumb and forefinger and pushed together. This causes the jaw teeth to pass between the staple crown and the secured material. As the opposed jaws are pushed further together the staple crown rides up the cam surfaces 21 of jaw 13. Simultaneously jaw surfaces 14 (and 12) are pressed against that portion of the clenched material lying below the staple crown. This providing an effective anvil action to the legs. In a preferred embodiment the teeth of jaw 13 are immediately adjacent the leg portions 27 of the staple. Therefore, as the crown of the staple is pulled upward, the legs are wedged against the sides of the teeth and are straightened out. This enhances the staple removing operation without causing damage or mutilation to the clenched material.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 6 and 7, as the jaws 11 and 13 are pushed closer into overlapping relation, staple 27 approaches the portion of surface.2l which is connected to flanges 40. Eventually the staple crown passes beyond surface 21 and contacts the upper surface 22 of flanges 40. Additional movement of the jaws 11 and 13 together forces the staple beyond the flange portion and propels it into the interior of chamber 18. Chamber 18 stores and retains any convenient number of removed staples until such time as disposal is convenient. To enable disposal of the retained staples it is only necessary to rotate cap 24 to the position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2 and empty compartment 18.

Various modifications and changes of the described embodiment may be made within the scope of the disclosed invention. For example, it is clearly not necessary to pivot cap member 24 about pivot 16. Instead any other suitable method of affixation may be adopted such as by crimp fitting the member 24 upon body portion 42. Additionally, alternate lever and jaw arrangements as shown, for example, in the above referred to US. Pat. No. 2,033,050 may obviously be adopted. The staple remover of the present invention incorporates the best features of prior-art devices while providing a unique and novel structure for disengaging and storing the removed staples.

We claim: I

l. A staple removing device comprising:

first and second oppositely disposed cooperable jaws, said first jaw having a pair of spaced, pointed, wedge-shaped teeth, each wedge-shaped tooth having a camming surface, the points of said wedgeshaped teeth being insertable beneath the crown portion of a staple adjacent the leg portions thereof, said second jaw having staple engaging means for forcing the staple to move up said camming surfaces to remove the staple when said jaws are brought together; and

container means operatively disposed adjacent the thick portions of said first jaws wedge-shaped teeth and cooperating therewith for receiving and retaining the removed staples.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said teeth are spaced a distance slightly less than the length of the staple crown so that the teeth may be inserted beneath the staple crown between the leg portions thereof.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the thick portions of said teeth are connected to outward directed flanges, said flanges being of sufficient length so as to define a distance from the end of one flange to the other at least equal to the length of the staple crown.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said flanges form a portion of said container, whereby the staple passes up said camming surfaces over said flanges and into said container as said jaws are brought together.

5. A staple removing device comprising:

a first jaw including a pair of spaced-apart, pointed wedge-shaped teeth, the points of said wedgeshaped teeth being insertable underneath the body portion of the staple, adjacent the leg portions thereof;

staple-engaging means cooperable with said first jaw and with the staple bridge for forcing the staple bridge to move up the teeth surfaces toward the thicker portion of said wedge-shaped teeth whereby the staple will be pulled out of engagement with the materials; and

storage means cooperating with said first jaw and said staple engaging means and positioned adjacent the thick portions of said wedge-shaped teeth for receiving and retaining the removed staple.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the storage means comprises a pair of outward extending flanges connected to the thick portions of said wedge-shaped teeth, said flanges forming a wall portion of said storage means whereby a staple moving up the teeth surfaces at said thick portions of said teeth will pass over said flanges and drop into said storage means.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said staple engaging means comprises a second jaw oppositely disposed to said first jaw and including a second pair of spacedapart, pointed wedge-shaped teeth, the points of said second jaws teeth being insertable underneath the body portion of the staple, said second pair of teeth being spaced to fit between said first pair of teeth when said jaws are brought together.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein said first and second jaws are attached respectively to first and second body 10. The device of claim 9 further comprising a cap member adapted to removably engage said storage means and when so engaged close the open side of said compartment. 

1. A staple removing device comprising: first and second oppositely disposed cooperable jaws, said first jaw having a pair of spaced, pointed, wedge-shaped teeth, each wedge-shaped tooth having a camming surface, the points of said wedge-shaped teeth being insertable beneath the crown portion of a staple adjacent the leg portions thereof, said second jaw having staple engaging means for forcing the staple to move up said camming surfaces to remove the staple when said jaws are brought together; and container means operatively disposed adjacent the thick portions of said first jaw''s wedge-shaped teeth and cooperating therewith for receiving and retaining the removed staples.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said teeth are spaced a distance slightly less than the length of the staple crown so that the teeth may be inserted beneath the staple Crown between the leg portions thereof.
 3. The device of claim 2 wherein the thick portions of said teeth are connected to outward directed flanges, said flanges being of sufficient length so as to define a distance from the end of one flange to the other at least equal to the length of the staple crown.
 4. The device of claim 3 wherein said flanges form a portion of said container, whereby the staple passes up said camming surfaces over said flanges and into said container as said jaws are brought together.
 5. A staple removing device comprising: a first jaw including a pair of spaced-apart, pointed wedge-shaped teeth, the points of said wedge-shaped teeth being insertable underneath the body portion of the staple, adjacent the leg portions thereof; staple-engaging means cooperable with said first jaw and with the staple bridge for forcing the staple bridge to move up the teeth surfaces toward the thicker portion of said wedge-shaped teeth whereby the staple will be pulled out of engagement with the materials; and storage means cooperating with said first jaw and said staple engaging means and positioned adjacent the thick portions of said wedge-shaped teeth for receiving and retaining the removed staple.
 6. The device of claim 5 wherein the storage means comprises a pair of outward extending flanges connected to the thick portions of said wedge-shaped teeth, said flanges forming a wall portion of said storage means whereby a staple moving up the teeth surfaces at said thick portions of said teeth will pass over said flanges and drop into said storage means.
 7. The device of claim 6 wherein said staple engaging means comprises a second jaw oppositely disposed to said first jaw and including a second pair of spaced-apart, pointed wedge-shaped teeth, the points of said second jaw''s teeth being insertable underneath the body portion of the staple, said second pair of teeth being spaced to fit between said first pair of teeth when said jaws are brought together.
 8. The device of claim 7 wherein said first and second jaws are attached respectively to first and second body portions said body portions being mutually pivotally mounted about a common pivot axis.
 9. The device of claim 8 wherein said storage means comprises a five sided open compartment, the sides of which are formed from said first body portions.
 10. The device of claim 9 further comprising a cap member adapted to removably engage said storage means and when so engaged close the open side of said compartment. 